The Portland daily press., 1887-09-06
CITY GOVERN m EMIT.
Regular Monthly Meeting OF the
City Council Last Evening.
Trouble Over Back Bay Contracts
Finally Settled.
Commercial Street Merchants Dis
cuss the Merits Of callIpers.

A4~h PAcoA0Ah6s
MARGINAL WAY.
The mayor stated arrangements had been
made whereby the differences between the
government contractor and Col. Moore, In
regard to the construction of the Marginal
Way, had been adjusted. Col. Moore as
sumes the government contracts and deliy
ers to himself as city contractor, the materi-
al dredged by himself as government con-
tractor. The mayor read the following or
der:
That the committee on laying out new
streets be authorized to make a contract
with Edward Moore, to build the Marginal
Way, on the terms heretofore submitted to
the city council, and In accordance with the
| specifications drawn by the city civil engin-
| eer, anu approved by said committee, said
work to be approved by the Back Bay COM
| mission.
| Messrs. Mcmahon and Briggs voting In the
negative.
COLLECTION OF oFFAL.
| An order was passed that committee OF
| three be appointed to consider and report
| some plan for the more effectual collection Of
house, store and fish offal. ashes and other
material, and the cost OF an 0dorless excava-
| tor for removing night soil. Aldermen Briggs,
Kicker and Wilson were appointed on the
committees.
ELECTRIC LIGHT WIRES.
A hearing was held on the application of
the city electrician for leave to erect three
electric Eight poles on Myrtle street, two on
| High street and tive on Cumberland street.
1t Is understood that the city is to join with
the electric light and telephone companies,
for the use of the wires. AS nobody was
| present who desired to be heard ON the mat
ter, the application was granted.
G, NJ. Stanwood was appointed a weigher
Of coal and iron.
CONSTITUTIONAL CELEBRATION.
An order was passed instructing the May
or, as representative of the city, to attend
the centennial Of the constitution at Phila-
delphia this month.
UNDERGROUND WIRES,
A petition was presented, Of the Portland
Light and Power Co., to lay down wires
through and under the streets.
Mr.. Briggs said steps ought to be taken as
soon as possible to have electric wires put
under ground. Both companies asked for it
and now was good time to begin. The
subject was exciting much attention else
where, and various plans had been tried in
Boston, New York, Chicago and other large
cities. He moved that special committee
be chosen to investigate the subject and re-
port.
The motion prevailed, and the Mayor ap-
| pointed Messrs. Briggs, Marks and MacMa-
hon; the petitition to lie on the table pend
ing the report
CALLIPERs VS.. RODS.
The hearing on the petition of ID. w. True
| and others, importers and j0bbers on Com
mercial street, that the city gaugers use cal
| lipers instead of rods, was taken up. The
petition recites that the present method with
| rod or rod gauge is not proving satisfactory,
~ nth that u varies from 1.-THE the true capacity and
gauge by the United States government, and
is uncertain In its results.
Alderman Smith thought that the nature
Of the matter was such that instead Of pub
lie meeting it would be better to have pri-
vate hearing by committee.
Mr.. Marks read petition from G.. S.
Hunt, L. Churchill and Twitchell q Champ
| lin, for private committee hearing.
After Il. further talk, It not appearing that
| public hearing, 1t was decided to hold Joint
/ convention for the purpose of listening to
testimony on both the gauge question and
the oil inspection question.
In Joint Convention.
A joint convention was held for the pur-
pose of hearing the petitioners for the use of
| callipers by the city gaugers.
| Alderman Kicker moved that the ordinance
be amended as desired by the petitioners. so
i as to substitute the callipers for the rod.
| Mr.. Woodbury., Of Woodbury. IL Latham,
said that as one of the petitioners he was
here to urge his claim. 1t seemed strange
/ that no one was here in opposition. Form
| erly the city gaugers used the government
method in measuring m0lasses. The petit
| TONERS wanted nothing but what was right.
III the callipers were the true gauge they
| wanted the callipers.
Mr.. Thomas Lynch, the gauger at the
| Portland custom house, considered the
| calliper the only reliable gauge.
Mr. Hawley, assistant gauger at the GUS
tom house, said the custom was TO use the
4 ro1 n, har lc md on
| less than a hundred pounds.
Mr. Chenery, Of the firm of d. w. True 4
| Co., described an interesting test made with
ten hogsheads of New York molasses. He
| Next morning he had Mr.. McAllister's gauge
the same with callipers. The New York
gaugers made the lot 176 gallons hogshead; :;
/ Leach gauged 1t 172, McAllister 174, while
the speaker and another man made Il 1so.
MIR. Smith thought 1t no wonder that
country grocers failed when they bought
| hogsheads of 150 gallons for 40.
| The hearing on gauglng was then closed,
and hearing was opened on the petition to
| amend the ordinance relating to the inspec-
tion of oils. so as to make it the duty Of the
| city oil ilinspect0r to inspect all Illuminating
oils stored in the city.
Mr.. Woodbury. said that he had not con-
sented to the signing of his friends name to
the petition, and he wished to take back
tracks. He thought other signers were OF
the same mind.
Mr.. Cloyes, the oil inspector, made a per-
sonal statement and read an opinion from
the City Solicitor to the effect that all
oil stored in Portland should be inspected by
him.
On this the point was made by Mr.. Wood
bury and others, that they store compare
lively little oil in Portland. Large consign-
ments they cart directly from the refineries.
Mr.. Conley, speaking for the Kerosene
Oil Company, said they had been having a
hard time for a good while, and if they were
doing little better now and saw chance to
make dollar they ought to have the chance
In Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
The Mayor referred to the resignation of
Mr.. Jared Smith from the Back Bay com.
mission. He had not seen the gentleman
yet, but hoped to induce him to withdraw
his resignation. He would therefore no
present the matter to the Board.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCES.
The proposed amendment to the ordi-
nances, requiring gaugers to use callipers
was read twice and passed to be engrossed,
by vote of to 2, Messrs. Briggs and
Marks voting no.
On motion of Alderman Marks, ii was vot
ed that the petitioners for change in the
ordinance relating to the inspection Of oil